2 days ago
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David Rozman, a long-term member of Ineos Grenadiers’ staff, has left the Tour de France after the International Testing Agency (ITA) launched an investigation into alleged messages he exchanged in 2012 with the subsequently convicted German doping doctor Mark Schmidt.
The allegations stem from a recent documentary made by the German TV outlet ARD, which linked Rozman to Schmidt, with further media reports including alleged texts between the Ineos staff member and Schmidt from June 2012 when the team were racing as Team Sky.
The documentary and subsequent reports were said to have drawn on court transcripts and in-court reporting during the Aderlass hearings, which resulted in Schmidt being jailed in 2021 for orchestrating a doping ring revolving around cross-country skiers and multiple cyclists between 2012 and 2019.
It was also claimed that Schmidt tried to arrange a visit to the Team Sky hotel on the evening of 6 July 2012. The following day Chris Froome won the Tour de France stage to La Planche des Belles Filles and Bradley Wiggins took the overall race lead.
In a statement issued to the Guardian on Thursday, Ineos said Rozman had spoken “informally” to the ITA in April when he was told he was not under investigation but added: “Following recent media allegations, David Rozman has now received a request from the ITA to attend an interview. Accordingly, he has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour.”
Rozman is described by Ineos on its website as “one of the longest-serving members of our staff” who “takes on the important role of head carer”. He worked with the four-time Tour winner Froome and British Cycling has also confirmed to the Guardian that he was also present, working for Team GB, at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Froome has removed images of Rozman from his social media accounts.
The Ineos statement continued: “David Rozman was informally contacted in April 2025 by a member of ITA staff, who asked him about alleged historical communications. David immediately notified the team of his meeting with the ITA and his recollection of the contents of the meeting. Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, INEOS promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm.
“The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing, dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments, and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.
“To date the team has received no evidence from any relevant authority. In response to the team’s request for information, the ITA has advised the team that it cannot share any further information, due to legal and confidentiality restrictions. Both David and the team will of course co-operate with the ITA and any other authority. The team reiterates its zero-tolerance policy and is unable to comment further at this time.”
Previously, the medical consultant Gert Leinders, who worked with Team Sky in 2012, was subsequently banned for life for multiple doping violations from 1996-2009 at a previous team, while the team doctor Richard Freeman was struck off in 2021 and banned for four years in 2023 for possession of a prohibited substance and tampering with part of doping control while at Team Sky.
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